A wave of frigid weather could set new North American records, with New Year's Eve in Manhattan set to be the second-coldest ever at a bone-chilling -12 degrees.

But that's nothing compared to what Canada is currently experiencing.

This week, temperatures across the country dropped way, way, way below freezing. In Edmonton and Yellowknife, it felt like -40 degrees. Things felt just about as cold in Saskatoon and Regina, located near the middle of the country. In Ottawa and Toronto, it felt like -20 degrees with the windchill.

To put that in perspective, the temperature on Mars hit -29 degrees on Thursday.

The cold temperatures have wreaked havoc on the country's infrastructure. It's so cold that electric poles are snapping in Nova Scotia, leaving 158,000 people without power. It's cold enough that ice skating has been cancelled, and windows are breaking.